Loon: Boyne's Forgotten Resort???

[snowmonster]

^ I know this. Can't call it a trail. More of a secret stash. Steep and tight. Do not go in there with stiff skis. I learned the hard way and my knee tagged a tree.

Warm spring days at Camp III are the best.

 

[Johnskiismore]

^ I know this. Can't call it a trail. More of a secret stash. Steep and tight. Do not go in there with stiff skis. I learned the hard way and my knee tagged a tree.

Warm spring days at Camp III are the best.

Oh yeah, you can say that again! I like how on one of the routes you come out ten feet above Cant Dog going the opposite direction... usually some shocked faces looking at you!

 

[deadheadskier]

They don't have to TB. Its location keeps it in the mix. Under two hours from Boston Markets itself. Everyone knows that they make quite of bit of snow. Why spend the money?

yep, no need. Loon does well enough on it's own. Over marketing it, could actually steel business from the Maine resorts. I think Boyne's major marketing strategy is steel as much Boston Marketshare as they can from heading to VT. It would be interesting to see how that strategy might change if they ever decided to take a management position of a VT property.

 

[snowmonster]

It would be interesting to see how that strategy might change if they ever decided to take a management position of a VT property.

Is there something you want to tell us, dhs?

 

[thetrailboss]

Is there something you want to tell us, dhs?

Boyne is going to take over Burke and make something of it :wink:

 

[deadheadskier]

ha, not at all.

just a thought that they've done such a great job of stealing Boston Market Share with their Maine Areas. If they took over management of VT area, they could potentially take marketshare away from SR / SL

 

[riverc0il]

Are you kidding? Sunday River has almost twice the acreage, is less crowded, has a more extensive lift system, and MUCH better expert terrain. I could go on with the comparisons, but the fact is they aren't even in the same league.

Please go back and reread my post in its appropriate context, as a response to Geoff regarding the types of people that ski at these two different areas. They are both resorts with massive second home crowds that get the resorty Boston crowds. They have their differences but share much more in common than they have differences.

 

[riverc0il]

LM is fine for all...with the best stuff kept secret just like a favorite fishin' hole...

Charlie, how the heck have ya been!? Good to hear from you.

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

The place just has zero appeal. Very crowded, not much variety, plus it's easy to find better mountians within a reasonable drive. Back to the topic, it doesn't get as much attention because A) it has seen it's major upgrades and expansion during the previous 3 or 4 years and B) it is already crowded enough, no need to increase skier traffic. Oh and the other thing, it doesn't have a diehard following, it also doesn't have a colorful and interesting past. Places Sugarloaf, Killington, Jay, Stowe, Sugarbush, Cannon, Wildcat, have that no frills following that frequent this board.

 

[thetrailboss]

Back to the topic, it doesn't get as much attention because A) it has seen it's major upgrades and expansion during the previous 3 or 4 years

They opened the new area in 2007-2008 and this season they are adding 400 snow guns. I think that this is major work....

and B) it is already crowded enough, no need to increase skier traffic.

True.

Oh and the other thing, it doesn't have a diehard following, it also doesn't have a colorful and interesting past. Places Sugarloaf, Killington, Jay, Stowe, Sugarbush, Cannon, Wildcat, have that no frills following that frequent this board.

Well, Loon actually has a colorful past. It was founded by Governor Sherman Adams and some other business people and used to play on their logging theme (the WMNF in this area was once a logging hub). Loon also has been around a long time. I just find it interesting that Boyne is not really pushing it and folks don't seem to care anymore...or at least folks here don't care as much

 

[Skimaine]

The answer is simple. Someone needed to be the red-headed step child. If they are already crowded, it may as well be them. 8)

 

[UVSHTSTRM]

They opened the new area in 2007-2008 and this season they are adding 400 snow guns. I think that this is major work....



True.



Well, Loon actually has a colorful past. It was founded by Governor Sherman Adams and some other business people and used to play on their logging theme (the WMNF in this area was once a logging hub). Loon also has been around a long time. I just find it interesting that Boyne is not really pushing it and folks don't seem to care anymore...or at least folks here don't care as much

I agree with a lot of what you said. I mean in order to have something like 400 snowguns become a topic on this board, there has to be someone on the board to actually care about the place or have a vested intrest in it. And from my short time on this board I have seen very little in the way of posts by Loon riders and skiers. When I was in college at PSC we had the choice of Cannon, WV and Loon, most we would often go straight to Cannon, but on occasion we would hit up loon and I felt like I was in the middle of rush hour (it may have changed)....I also didn't feel like I had arrived at something special...like I did as kid or even now showing up at Sugarloaf, or even to a lesser extent at Cannon when I was in college.

 

[jmn7w]

I'll step in for Loon here. Grew up skiing there and (almost) always enjoy going back.

Sure its crowded on the weekends, but the close proximity to Boston means you don't have to get as early of a start. Not a whole lot of natural snow but Boyne does fine with the guns and the terrain, esp on North Peak, isn't as vanilla as some suggest. Always good food at Camp III and the small Gondi is easy to hold a productive safety meeting in.

Plus the Gov. Adams history, as someone else mentioned, is kinda cool. Adams was Ike's chief of staff and created the position as we know it today, controlling access to the president to a degree not seen before. He was forced out of the position when it was revealed he took a vicuna coat for his wife from a political donor (coats were a big deal for Republicans in the 50's) and wound up developing Loon. He's buried in Lincoln.

 

[WakeboardMom]

I'll step in for Loon here. Grew up skiing there and (almost) always enjoy going back.

Sure its crowded on the weekends, but the close proximity to Boston means you don't have to get as early of a start. Not a whole lot of natural snow but Boyne does fine with the guns and the terrain, esp on North Peak, isn't as vanilla as some suggest. Always good food at Camp III and the small Gondi is easy to hold a productive safety meeting in.

Plus the Gov. Adams history, as someone else mentioned, is kinda cool. Adams was Ike's chief of staff and created the position as we know it today, controlling access to the president to a degree not seen before. He was forced out of the position when it was revealed he took a vicuna coat for his wife from a political donor (coats were a big deal for Republicans in the 50's) and wound up developing Loon. He's buried in Lincoln.

: )

 

[Riverskier]

Please go back and reread my post in its appropriate context, as a response to Geoff regarding the types of people that ski at these two different areas. They are both resorts with massive second home crowds that get the resorty Boston crowds. They have their differences but share much more in common than they have differences.

Geoff's post, while not the point of the post, suggested that Okemo and Stratton are blue square cruiser mountains and that Loon would fall into that category as well. You didn't dispute that, but suggested that Sunday River would fall into that category as well. After that first line, then your post went on to respond to the actual point Geoff was making.

I really don't care, I just don't think Sunday River and Loon are all that comparable in terms of what most people on here care about most- terrain. Sure, the similiarities you pointed out are in fact true. However, just looking at that sort of criteria, you could compare Saddleback and Mt. Abram, or Mad River and Magic (older lifts, limited of no lodging, etc.). However, you would never catch me comparing these places, as there is no comparison interms of what matters most to me- terrain.

 

[puckoach]

Loon

LM is fine for all...with the best stuff kept secret just like a favorite fishin' hole...

I agree with Charlie !

Although I do think they screwed it up with the location of the Park in front of the MC. Forced a lot of high speed traffic onto their lower skilled runs. The idea had merit, but in application, not so much. IMHO, they would be wise to make an adjustment to limit access, such that one had to use the small lift adjacent to it, inorder to board in that park.

 

[4aprice]

I'll step in for Loon here. Grew up skiing there and (almost) always enjoy going back.

Sure its crowded on the weekends, but the close proximity to Boston means you don't have to get as early of a start. Not a whole lot of natural snow but Boyne does fine with the guns and the terrain, esp on North Peak, isn't as vanilla as some suggest. Always good food at Camp III and the small Gondi is easy to hold a productive safety meeting in.

Put me down as a Loon fan as well. I've always enjoyed it and found it to be one of the prettiest resorts in the Northeast. Triple Trouble when its open is one of my all time favorite trails. I've also enjoyed several safety meetings on the gondola. Do they still limit ticket sales?

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

 

[WJenness]

Put me down as a Loon fan as well. I've always enjoyed it and found it to be one of the prettiest resorts in the Northeast. Triple Trouble when its open is one of my all time favorite trails. I've also enjoyed several safety meetings on the gondola. Do they still limit ticket sales?

Alex

Lake Hopatcong, NJ

Triple Trouble is great fun when it's open and the snow is good...

I wish that happened more frequently.

My first ever tree skiing experience was Mike's Way, and that was quite a bit of fun as well...

Cruiser is one of my favorite blue cruiser trails anywhere... On a hardpack day I can lap that a few times and have good fun with it.

Loon certainly has it's merits.

-w

 

[billski]

Do they still limit ticket sales?

No. FWIW, I just had lunch with a Loon staffer.

 

[AMAC2233]

I'm a big fan of South Peak. I love the lodge, and parking there is so much more convenient than having to hunt down a space between the Octagon and Governor's lodges. The terrain there is mildly entertaining at best, but the new trail they're cutting looks legit....and I will say my friends and I have had a lot of fun racing on Boom Run and Cruiser. Guy on Boom Run gets a 15-20 second head start and it's a close finish.